While the prior art is replete with utility carriers of numerous varieties, all suffer from one or more shortcomings. Some of the small carriers, while being easy to load and maneuver in restricted spaces simply do not have the carrying capacity necessary for some of the larger loads that can be expected. Similarly, the larger carriers, while being able to carry prodigious amounts of cargo cannot be maneuvered in to restricted spaces. An additional problem with the larger carriers is that when filled with a bulk product, the large carriers can be quite difficult to empty.
One class of conventional carriers is wheeled carriers that are quite able to be moved over a hard surfaced area, but, can become readily mired when operation is attempted on soft surfaces. Another class of carriers is sled type carriers, that is, those carriers having no wheels that are dragged or slid over the surface. Such carriers have been known for several millennia and are quite useful for moving materials over a soft surface. However, the amount of energy needed to drag a loaded sled over anything but the most slippery surface obviates any benefit that may incur from moving the load in a carrier. The sled type carriers therefore are only useful when the working surface is slippery such as ice or snow. Neither class of the conventional carriers is readily convertible between a wheeled carrier and a sled type of carrier.
What is needed is a dumpable utility carrier that may be used as both a wheeled carrier and sled type carrier so that a user may use the carrier year around for multiple uses on multiple surfaces.
The invention as disclosed in this application is a cargo carrier having a tub shaped cargo portion with upwardly extending sides surrounding a base to contain the cargo carried in the cargo portion. The carrier may be selectively placed on the snow or other suitable surface and drawn like a sled or placed on a wheeled frame and drawn over a harder surface.
The invention includes a carrier having substantially upright walls surrounding a platform forming the cargo portion. The walls may be vertical or the walls may be sloped and enclose a volume for carrying goods. The bottom of the carrier has a plurality of grooves and ribs therein to allow the cargo portion to be drawn across snow or ice with reduced friction and provide a direction stabilizing effect. The carrier may have a closable top cover. The carrier may be attached to a wheeled carriage for use on hard surfaces. When so attached, the cargo portion may be pivoted at the rear of wheeled carriage to dump the contents of the carrier. When the cargo portion is attached to the wheeled carriage, the grooves of the carrier mate with longitudinal tubes of the frame to locate and stabilize the carrier on the carriage. When the cargo carrier is used in its sled form, the bottom ridges function as runners.
For moving the carrier about a standard xe2x80x9cDxe2x80x9d type of handle may be selectively attached to either the frame or the cargo portion. When the handle is attached to the frame, the handle may pivot in a vertical plane to accommodate users of varying heights and does not pivot in a horizontal plane so that when the handle is moved in a horizontal plane, the wheels of the frame are turned to steer the utility carrier. When the handle is attached to the cargo portion, the handle may pivot in both a horizontal plane and a vertical plane allowing the cargo portion to be both pulled and steered in the snow or other slippery surface.
An advantage of the current invention is that cargo carrier that may be used to carry a multitude of items useful to a homeowner.
Another advantage of the current invention is that the cargo carrier may be selectively pivoted to dump bulk cargos.
Another advantage of the current invention is that the cargo carrier may be pivoted over center to be self supporting in the dumping position.
Another advantage of the current invention is that the attachment points of the cargo carrier is attached to the frame near the center of gravity of the cargo carrier to counterweight the load allowing the cargo carrier to be more easily dumped.
Another advantage of the current invention is that the cargo carrier may be used with wheels on hard surfaces and without wheels on soft surfaces.
Another advantage of the current invention is that the cargo carrier may have openable doors on the top to allow the cargo to be protected from the environment or for security.
Another advantage of the current invention is to provide openable doors on top that may be locked on a vertical position to increase the cargo capacity.
Another advantage of the current invention is to provide openable doors that may be locked in a horizontal position outside the cargo tub to provide a shelf for tools or the like.
Another advantage of the current invention is to provide openable doors that may be locked in a horizontal position outside the cargo tub to provide a horizontal fixture that may be used a movable work bench.
A further advantage of the current invention is that the ribs of the interior of the cargo tub that provide structural integrity are unidirectional to allow bulk cargo to loaded and dumped without trapping such cargo.
A further advantage of the current invention is that one handle may be attached to either the carrier or the carriage to provide ease of movement of the carrier in both forms.
The utility carrier is a dumpable utility carrier that may be used as both a wheeled carrier and sled type carrier so that a user may use the carrier year around for multiple uses on multiple surfaces.